Students have been protesting for two months against education cuts and the arrests of 20 others during the demonstrations.

Several human rights groups have filed a lawsuit at the Honduran Public Ministry, denouncing alleged police abuses during the student protests at the National Autonomous University of Honduras, or UNAH.

According to Edy Tabora, head of the Committee for Free Expression or C-Libre, the officer in charge of the unit sent to the UNAH on Wednesday gave illegal orders to the troops to forcibly evict the demonstrators.

Tabora accused the security forces of contravening articles 334 and 339 of the Criminal Code which guarantees people's fundamental right to gather and protest.

Sagrario Prudot, who coordinates human rights issues at the Honduran Security Ministry, has been named in the lawsuit.

Prudot is said to have refused to provide the rights group with the identity of the police chief in charge of the unit, in violation of the citizens' right to information.

On the same day, the police clashed with other UNAH students who were blocking an avenue in a bid to pressure the Congress to vote on the removal of Julieta Castellanos, the UNAH dean, for alleged corruption.

Students were forced to retreat to the university campus in order to avoid tear gas and water cannon.

The human rights group Ciprodeh condemned the incident, saying the protesters were only defending their rights.

“This situation is due to the inflexibility and apathy of authorities, as they would not attend the students' demands,” said Alejandro Mairena from Cidopreh according to Confidencial.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras said earlier this month that it was concerned about the crisis at UNAH and urged the authorities and students to work towards a "peaceful dialogue."